Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Norwood Township, Michigan

Norwood Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Norwood Township, Charlevoix County, Michigan.

  • District-specific standards and the official zoning map apply.

  “For the purpose of this Ordinance, the following Zoning Districts shall be established in Norwood Township:”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Norwood Township.

  • The official zoning map is the final authority in district-boundary disputes.

  “A Agricultural District CR Conservation Reserve District R-1 Low density Residential District RR Rural Residential District MH Mobile Home Park District C Commercial District I Industrial District MIRD Mineral Industrial Resources District”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Agricultural (A) District inside Norwood Township.

  • Schedule footnotes and other ordinance provisions apply.

  minimum dwelling floor area: >= 690 sq. ft. (Agricultural District.)

  “Zoing District A | District Name Agricultural | Minium Lot Area 5 acres | 300' | Maximum Height of Structure 2.5 | 35' (e) | Minium Yard Setbacks (in feet)(g) 50' (a) (c)(f) | 25' (f) | 100' (f) | Minimum Dwelling Unit 23' | 690 sq. ft. | Max % of Lot Coverage 15%”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Low Density Residential (R-1) District inside Norwood Township.

    “Zoing District R-1 | District Name Low Density Residential | Minium Lot Area 20,000 sq. ft. | 100' | Maximum Height of Structure 2.5 | 35' | Minium Yard Setbacks (in feet)(g) 50' (c) | 15' (d) | 50 | Minimum Dwelling Unit 23' | 920 sq. ft. | Max % of Lot Coverage 15%”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Agricultural (A) District inside Norwood Township.

  • The schedule includes a 300-foot minimum lot width.

  minimum lot area: >= 5 acres (Agricultural District.)

  “Zoing District A | District Name Agricultural | Minium Lot Area 5 acres | 300'”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Low Density Residential (R-1) District inside Norwood Township.

    “Zoing District R-1 | District Name Low Density Residential | Minium Lot Area 20,000 sq. ft. | 100'”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Agricultural (A) District inside Norwood Township.

  • Waterfront lots have a 50-foot minimum setback from the ordinary high-water mark.
  • Agricultural accessory buildings have separate setback rules; all setbacks are measured from proposed rights-of-way.

  front setback: >= 50 ft (Subject to schedule footnotes.) · side setback: >= 25 ft (Subject to schedule footnotes.) · rear setback: >= 100 ft (Subject to schedule footnotes.)

  “Minium Yard Setbacks (in feet)(g) 50' (a) (c)(f) | 25' (f) | 100' (f)”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Low Density Residential (R-1) District inside Norwood Township.

    “Minium Yard Setbacks (in feet)(g) 50' (c) | 15' (d) | 50”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Agricultural (A) District inside Norwood Township.

  • Schedule footnotes and other ordinance provisions apply.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 15 percent (Agricultural District.)

  “Minimum Dwelling Unit 23' | 690 sq. ft. | Max % of Lot Coverage 15%”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Low Density Residential (R-1) District inside Norwood Township.

    “Minimum Dwelling Unit 23' | 920 sq. ft. | Max % of Lot Coverage 15%”

• Building heightSpecified

  Agricultural (A) District inside Norwood Township.

  • Agricultural accessory structures essential and customarily used in farm operations may be 45 feet; silos or cylindrical structures may be 100 feet if at least 100 feet from other residential dwellings.

  maximum structure height: <= 35 ft (Agricultural District schedule; footnote (e) exceptions apply.)

  “Exceptions to height standards for Agricultural Uses and in the MIRD the maximum height of permitted agricultural accessory structures or structures in the MIRD that are essential and customarily used in agricultural operations associated with a farm or operations allowed in the M I R D shall be forty-five (45) feet, except that the maximum height of silos or cylindrical structures shall be one-hundred (100) feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Low Density Residential (R-1) District inside Norwood Township.

    “Zoing District R-1 | District Name Low Density Residential | Minium Lot Area 20,000 sq. ft. | 100' | Maximum Height of Structure 2.5 | 35'”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Overnight camping on private property without a dwelling unit inside Norwood Township.

  • Camping is not allowed by this provision in the R-1 district.
  • Without a zoning permit, a recreational vehicle may occupy the parcel no longer than 15 consecutive days.
  • More than 15 days requires a zoning permit; no more than two permits per parcel per calendar year are available, each for no more than 45 days.

  unpermitted camping duration: <= 15 consecutive days (Not in the R-1 district.) · maximum camping permits: <= 2 permits per parcel per calendar year · permit validity: <= 45 days

  “Overnight camping on private property without a dwelling unit shall be an allowable use in all districts, EXCEPT the R-1 district, provided the recreational vehicle shall occupy such a parcel for not longer than 15 consecutive days. Camping for periods of greater than 15 days, shall require a zoning permit.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Private water supply and sewage disposal for buildings inside Norwood Township.

  • Public and private water supply and sewage systems must comply with District Health Department sanitary-code requirements.
  • Plans must be submitted to, approved by, and receive written approval from the District Health Department before filing the building-permit application.

  “All water supply and sanitary sewage disposal systems either public or private, for any building thereafter erected, altered or moved upon any premises shall be subject to compliance with District Health Department sanitary code requirements.”

• Shed and accessory-building permit exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Accessory structures inside Norwood Township.

  • Structures under 100 square feet remain subject to all applicable ordinance construction and location provisions.

  accessory structure size: < 100 sq. ft. (No zoning permit required.)

  “No zoning permit shall be required for accessory structures less than one-hundred (100) square feet in size. Such accessory structures shall be constructed and located in compliance with all applicable provisions of this Ordinance.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Short-term residential rentals in the Agricultural District inside Norwood Township.

  • The zoning ordinance directs applicants to General Ordinance No. 02 of 2018, the Short-Term Rental Ordinance; its licensing terms were not located in the opened official material.

  “12. Short-term residential rental – see General Ordinance No. 02 of 2018, Short-Term Rental Ordinance”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Township zoning permits and ordinance applications inside Norwood Township.

  • No zoning permit is valid until required fees are paid.
  • Fees are those specified by the Township Board of Trustees; no current dollar schedule was located.

  “No Zoning Permit shall be valid until the required fees have been paid.”

Rules another office applies inside Norwood Township

Norwood Township does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  On-site sewage systems inside Norwood Township, which is in Charlevoix County served by the Health Department of Northwest Michigan.

  • The health department serves Charlevoix County together with Antrim, Emmet, and Otsego Counties.

  “We proudly serve the residents of Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet, and Otsego Counties.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installation of a new or replacement on-site sewage system inside Norwood Township.

  • HDNW evaluates the site and issues the permit before installation.
  • The service applies in Charlevoix County, including Norwood Township.

  “Prior to installing a sewage (septic) system, HDNW works with the property owner to evaluate the site and issue a permit.”

• Septic inspectionLimited

  New or replacement on-site sewage systems inside Norwood Township.

  • The source describes a final review following the permit process; it does not establish a recurring inspection requirement for all existing systems.

  “A final review provides assurance that the system will operate as intended.”

• Well permitRequired

  Residential wells installed inside Norwood Township, Charlevoix County.

  • HDNW evaluates the site, issues a permit before installation, and conducts a final review once installed.

  “Before a resident or business installs a well, we evaluate the site and issue a permit, as well as do a final review once the well is installed.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Norwood Township or Charlevoix County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Norwood Township.
• Building code adopted — Residential construction inside Norwood Township.
• Inspections — Residential building-code inspections inside Norwood Township.
• Certificate of occupancy — New residential occupancy inside Norwood Township.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Norwood Township.

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.